Getting People onto The Bridge Through Narconon

Tonight at 8pm there is a special episode of The Aftermath touching upon the subject of scientology’s front groups.

Of course, the most well-know of them is Narconon, which is why it was so ironic that I was sent this a couple of days ago.

Scientology says the “social betterment” organizations are NOT recruitment arms for scientology.

Look at the first paragraph of this letter.

Bobby Wiggins seems to have retired from his Narconon job and now is making commissions from persuading people to give money to the IAS. The irony of this is when he WAS in Narconon he had to scrape and scrounge and beg for money because he got zippo from the IAS….

Comments

Mike, thank you for sharing. Ironic that Narconon as well as other Scientology organizations were one of the topics discussed on the latest episode of “The Aftermath”. Thank you and Leah for bringing Scientology into the “light”, so to speak, as well as the brave men and women speaking up regarding the atrocities practiced by Scientology. Now I understand more of why Tom Cruise had his”episode” on Oprah.

It must be harrowing for addicts, trapped in the throes of withdrawal, only to realize they have signed up for a LRH’s idea of sobriety i.e the highway to insanity. Definition of pure hell. Another version of the yellow t-shirt crowd handing out IAS pamphlets to dehydrated/starved natural disaster victims.

A few weeks ago (after watching Tara and Nathan’s episode of “Aftermath”) I found myself back down the “Scientology Rabbit Hole” on the internet again (and what a horrifying and pathetic Rabbit Hole it is), and I ended up checking out the Scientology “Volunteer Ministers”. I had always assumed that the “Volunteer Ministers” were deployed by the “church” simply for positive PR, as I had seen many photographs throughout the years of a couple of them at each huge “disaster” that had occured, wearing their yellow tee-shirts and holding babies in the middle of war zones and hurricane aftermaths, and always lucky enough to just happen to have a full camera and production crew at the scene with them to document all the “good” they are doing for people in need. I have to say that I never expected to read the story that I found down this most recent Rabbit Hole I found myself in, and I’m hoping that maybe someone here will be able to either verify it as being true or make me feel better about humanity and tell me it’s just some disgruntled ex-Scientologist telling stories….(I already know the answer, but I’m suspending my own disbelief in this one.)

I’m going to go back down the Hole and find the page I read this horror story on so you know I’m not the one making this up, but basically this story was written by someone who had been a volunteer minister for Scientology and had heard this story from another ex-Scientologist and former Volunteer Minister who was sent to New Orleans the day after Hurricane Katrina. Basically the story was that Scientology at most sent 20 Volunteer Ministers (not all at the same time mind you) to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, most of which were operating cameras. The very first day that any rescue crews had gone into the area of New Orleans with the most devastation to actually get people who were still trapped in the flooding out, a lot of rescuers were passing out bottles of water and food like granola bars to people who had not had anything to eat or drink in literally days. These poor souls had lined up while they were waiting to be air-lifted out of the wreckage, and so the FEMA workers were trying to get each person a bottle of water and a granola bar, but there were hundreds and hundreds of men, women, and children in these lines, so they were short on supplies and people to pass them out. There were maybe 3 or 4 “Volunteer Ministers” from Scientology, in their yellow tee-shirts, walking through the lines of hundreds of people who hadn’t had a drink or food in days, with carts of bottled water for the people in line….IN EXCHANGE FOR THE PEOPLE DOING A PERSONALITY TEST…Yes, that’s right, they would first hand these people, who had just lost their homes and everything they own in one of the worst hurricanes in history, a personality test and a pencil, and once the people handed the Scientology “Volunteer Ministers” a completed Personality Test, only then would they give the person a freaking bottle of water.

Great post. Narcanon, criminon, and other front groups are church expansion nonprofits. The difference between the main church and the church expansion front groups is that the front groups only contain introductory material that is easily disavowed as religious doctrine. Much like missionaries in other religions, the front groups bring the disaffected onto the Scientology bridge.
These ‘recruits’ may be former drug-users, rehabilitated criminals, or just plain children. It seems like a engineered effort to go after those who are not doing well or do not know any better. With the history of abuse and other activities shown on Aftermath, I wouldn’t doubt if the success stories from the front groups are coerced. Also, please remember that these are the official front groups, and there are many more that are running rehabs by Scientologists that have nothing to do with these official front groups.
One such rehab was shut down by the local sheriff in Tennessee about 6 months ago for malpractice and abuse.

In the early 1980s I worked for a drug treatment referral call in center. It was set up by a local tv station along with a local hospital that used it’s space (a couple rooms in front of it’s locked juvenile treatment/rehab facility. We had a book to look through for all treatment facilities, adult and juvenile in the Mountain area. On Narconon’s entry there was a huge black “X” and big “NO” s!

To keep Co$ off our backs we would occasionally refer them EXCEPT is was generally at the bottom of a long list of really better and talked up alternatives.

After watching the Aftermath I went on line to read more about “front organizations” this is what wikipedia on their webpage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_organizat
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations. Front organizations can act for the parent group without the actions being attributed to the parent group thereby allowing them to hide from public view.
Front organizations that appear to be independent voluntary associations or charitable organizations are called front groups. In the business world, front organizations such as front companies or shell corporations are used to shield the parent company from legal liability. In international relations, a puppet state is a state which acts as a front (or surrogate) for another state.
A covert operation:

Scientology[edit]
The Church of Scientology uses front groups either to promote its interests in politics or to make its group seem more legitimate. The FBI’s July 7, 1977 raids on the Church’s offices (following discovery of the Church’s Operation Snow White) turned up, among other documents, an undated memo entitled “PR General Categories of Data Needing Coding”. This memo listed what it called “Secret PR Front Groups,” which included the group APRL, “Alliance for the Preservation of Religious Liberty” (later renamed “Americans Preserving Religious Liberty”).[12] The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) is considered by many[who?] to now be a front group for the Church of Scientology, which took the group over financially after bankrupting it in a series of lawsuits.[13][14]
Time identified several other fronts for Scientology, including: the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), The Way to Happiness Foundation, Applied Scholastics, the Concerned Businessmen’s Association of America, and HealthMed Clinic.[15] Seven years later the Boston Herald showed how Narconon and World Literacy Crusade are also fronting for Scientology.[16] Other Scientology groups include Downtown Medical, Criminon and the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE).
Scientology front groups

Mike, I’m really interested in info about CoS. I want to be supportive of anyone who can get away from them. I pray every day that someone will wake up and leave. I’ve bought everyone’s books and then sent them to the library for others to read. I don’t think your blog should be a forum for Trump haters. Or Christians haters. I would never accuse the ex’s of being stupid but they don’t mind callings others that …in so many words. I don’t want to be part of this hypocrisy.

Everyone has an opinion, and people are going to express their political (and religious) opinions sometimes. You may not agree with it but we don’t all have to share the same views to fight against the lies and abuses of $cientology.

Notice how that IAS letter is full of grammatical errors, as are all the Co$ letters. If they’re such fantastic educators, then you’d think they could master basic grammar. I know middle school children who can write better…

I’m pretty sure the families of those that struggle on my closed FB groups (well over 60,000 and this is a conservative #) will be VERY interested in this!!!! Bad enough we have the Pharma Cartels, the Mafia FDA and dirty politicians… now the group we look to for help… holy crap!!!! I have no words. God help us

Just be sure not to confuse Narconon and Narcotics Anonymous. They are two very different groups. It’s actually quite common, since people’s brains look to “likes” and “shorten.” So Narco + Anon -> Narconon very easily. When I worked at the drug abuse referral hotline we found this conflation was common. And in the other work I did during the time we wondered if that conflation with Co$ wasn’t purposeful.

I believe it was.

I still do a little drug treatment referral work locally. I just gave three NA (Narcotics Anonymous) books to a friend of my eldest son – he’s starting the program . . . and sadly, had to remind my son of the low percentage of success, especially when heroin is involved. Maybe this young man will beat the odds, I hope so, I’ve always liked him.

Your son’s friend sounds like he has someone good standing in his corner, CS. I know how hard battling heroin addiction is, I was a heroin addict back in the 90s and ended up selling myself out on the streets to pay for my habit. I had tried and failed so many different types of treatment and rehab that I got to the point where I had seriously resigned myself to dying. But there were some wonderful street outreach workers who would come out and distribute supplies to us (condoms, etc), offer free health checks, counselling if we wanted it, even just some hot coffee and a friendly chat. They treated us with respect, like we were still human beings with something to contribute, and they made me feel like maybe, just maybe I might be worth a little more than the ‘junkie scum’ I thought of myself as. They planted a seed that eventually grew into an epiphany, and one night I walked away from the streets, went back into a treatment program, and got clean – and I’ve been clean, and stayed clean, for 15 years this year. I am a recovered heroin addict, I’m married to a wonderful man, I have great friends and family around me, I’ve done voluntary work for organ donor awareness and mental health support over the years, I’m a devoted environmentalist, and I live a nice, quiet suburban life, and that’s the way I like it. There is always hope, make sure your son’s friend knows that, and that he knows to never give up fighting, because recovery is worth fighting for.

Have the CO$, er Narconon, use their state of the art facility in Commerce and print 10,000,000 copies of the WTH and position themselves with the hit Netflix series Narcos. They could use the main characters of the show on the cover to attract more dupes, I mean members. It goes without saying that the money for this project will come from fundraisers tapping the ever compliant sheeple with a few whales thrown in the mix to reach the target faster.

Of course, the most well-know of them (know needs an n ?) Love all that you and Leah and Aaron and Chris and Tori and Nathan and T and everyone. You are all strong, brave people. Thanks for what you do!

This was my story, Sea son uses the crooked lawyer LRHs The queen of Dogma (Coz V) to smear my credibility as a drunk parent, leaving the Sea son (My Ex) (a substance abuser), as the only father left to keep the kids because he has diplomacy. My kids were 8 and 12, with both of us in Bankruptcy, what happens next will amaze everyone who does not know what the extremists of the LRH Legasy really are, The elders of the high council, of course will expect him to fail as a single parent, as a father, through this system they called Narconon, thus resulting in the church’s lawyer to put our kids up for adoption to the Excellency and then be exploited. I dont believe in this crooked system, I believe my lawyer called these lawyers, who fabricate falsities and, ruin families Slime Balls. They have the will to ceace and destroy a family if there are any implications of any substance abuse and, then can fabricate a past history of events so that it looks like even Narconon failed. This happens with properties, investments, land, assets, These all land in the hands of the so called Helping Hands. My life was hell as a mother married to a family who steal Every thing. I will always remember the phrase, Here’s a titne (Seagram) go find yourself!

No, I meant tinth, slang for dime bag, and I’m not a dope fiend, I don’t have to lie about anything I’ve lived through, excuse me for my Grammatical error. I only wish that one day everything is out in the open and that these criminals are brought to justice.

Scientology and Naconon are similar to Philip Morris and Kraft Foods. With $80 billion sales and 51% market share in tobacco (think Marlboro, etc…) they needed better PR image than killing people, so big tobacco bought big food: The bought Kraft and General Foods and then combined them into one: Kraft Foods.

Scientology uses druggie clients in the same way. They just deliver intro Scientology courses and call it a drug rehab center. This is done solely to make money and to keep the IRS at bay. They don’t help clients, they abuse them, just like they abuse their “conditioned” members to give up their family members and their bank account.

During the 80’s when I lived in the St. Pete area I had a woman who worked for me who sent her daughter to Narconon. Even though I didn’t know at the time it was connected to CoS I had already heard it was a bogus program that used controversial and allegedly abusive methods, and that already it had quite a few lawsuits filed against it. When I found out a few years later it was CoS, it made so much sense.

Is anyone keeping track of the litigation against Narconon? I know they’ve paid out settlements and that at least one class action suit had been filed. There’s an Narconon Exposed FB page that may be informative.

Narconon may be an example of the “social good” groups CoS is involved in, but it does not have a stellar reputation by any means.

Bobby exuberantly trumpets the Good News that the cult is “incredibly close to handling this huge suppression,” referring to the Evil Psychs. But the last time I checked, Big Pharma is doing great and the APA doesn’t even know who the CCHR is, much less being affected by its efforts.

So, where’s the objective evidence to support your contention, Bobby? By what objective measures can your claims be evaluated? Only completely bamboozled clams fail to ask these kinds of obvious questions.

Scientology is in the unenviable position of having their PR shot to hell. The only slim chance they might have would be to admit and own up to their mistakes, which is impossible due to Hubbard’s set in stone policies which are strictly stone age.

To paraphrase The Dark Knight Rises once again: “We are here to end the borrowed time you’ve all been living on.”

OMG! I watch One America News on cable and they just flashed on that strip that runs along while the show is going on with news that President Trump is considering revoking the Cof$ tax exempt status because of it’s long history of abuse and corruption!

By all means, keep your eye on this news story but I caution you from getting high hopes on anything Trump says–even in regards to revoking Scientology’s tax exemption. He’s full of talk (some of it dangerous, some of it unpredictable, all of it stupid). We shall see what transpires next. It would be interesting to find out how fake conservative/Christian Joy Villa reacts!!

tisk tisk …. no need for interwoven political opinions here madame. We get plenty of “truth” from other sources like political blogs, CNN, Fox, etc.. and, yes it will be interesting to see how Joy Villa acts. I would say nothing will come from her. Standing up to defend this monster scam called Scientology is not beneficial to anyone’s career, especially in Hollywood or in politics.

madame duran, I agree that Dumpo is a dangerous prez but I’m glad he has been signing everything that comes across his desk for the military veterans. He even approved a reform of the VA’s SEVENTY year old disability review system which is a huge step.

IMHO, I think he needs to get as much admiration that he can since his rating with the citizens is in the toilet.

I hope he doesn’t have an ear for fake ass Joy Villa’s drivel and he takes away the church’s tax exemption. It’s soooo in the media and since he is motivated to do whatever is de rigeur these days it would raise his own rating to do so.

The President has no control over any tax exempt status of any “church”. Taking away CO$ tax exempt status can only be done by the IRS and Congress (I think they must be in agreement, but I’m not sure). It’s wonderful if the President wants it done but he, nor ANY president, CAN do it.

At the price of a bad pun, “Amen” to all you’ve said. Whatever Trump does or doesn’t do, says or doesn’t say, etc., is to help him get reelected in 2020. He exists in the moment, always, and he can and does reverse himself in the twinkling of a tweet. Highly unlikely that he’ll buck the Christian Right and exert pressure on the Treasury Dept to investigate the legitimacy of a legitimate US church’s tax exempt status, BUT – this is Trump, and so who knows? If for any, and I do mean ANY reason he has somehow gotten a bee in his combover about Co$ not paying taxes, be assured that he will NEVER let it go, because once something gets under his skin he remains forever vocal about it, he never lets it go – and that disastrous trait of his could, in this instance, be a blessing. Besides, the buzz being generated can only help.

Mike lets anyone say anything (within reason and good taste) and is most patient with even “bad boya” for awhile. As for Mr. Trump, he’s our very first non politicion to hold the post and I’m seriously interested in what he can accomplish. Love him or hate him, we’ve never had anyone like him.

Kati, we were ruminating on the likelihood of the President’s pressuring the Dept of the Treasury and withal the IRS into investigating the actual viability of the Church of Scientology’s tax exempt status. The President made a very public remark about this and we here were discussing the likelihood of his following thru on it. I don’t understand why such a discussion. with its pertinent tangential details need necessarily be offensive to you.

One America News is a very small, privately owned, very pro-Trump media outlet. While this could be true, it might also be a story designed to appeal to popular opinion. I heard similar rumors weeks back but have not been able to find any corroborating stories in any other mainstream news outlet, or any credible source on line.

While I hope and wish this to be true, I think it would be prudent to wait until this becomes more widespread or circulated.

Media of all kinds publish untruths, sometimes on purpose to advance an agenda, sometimes accidentally when their source is wrong. The childish notion that “they can’t say it if it isn’t true” has been disproved so often that I was surprised to see it in a comment here. If any group is the poster child for untruth in publishing it has to be Scientology.

Agreed on all, Cecybeans. And your post gave me the idea that this throw out line might even be a fishing expedition to gauge the amount of support revoking the tax exempt status from a cherch-i- name-only would garner, not only from the Independents and Moderates whose votes he’ll need for his reelection but to see if it resonates with the uber-wealthy GOP donors.

Its actually the perfect hot button issue which, with the weight of the Christian Right behind it could be Yuge.

A fake cherch bankrupting its parishioners to buy buildings when its actually shrinking – whew! just the thing to get everyone’s blood pressure up, on the right AND on the left.

Well, one can hope. Have to say, if the Christian Right gets on board with it, CoS’s tax exempt status would be in serious jeopardy.

Getting people riled up and angry is what Trump does best, bless his artery-clogged heart 🙂

You’re right. We are being manipulated on a lot of hot-button issues at the moment – and some of them from very sketchy sources. I double and triple vet stuff these days. Especially after seeing how social media was used to circulate stuff from RT and Sputnik all the way to mainstream news (some of whom are a lot shoddier about their own journalistic due diligence).

After Reagan vetoed the Fairness Doctrine people have forgotten how badly the veracity of that media can and sometimes has deteriorated. I have to snopes everything these days and multi-source it just as a matter of course. Some of that is the old history major in me – but a lot of it is in direct response to what has been allowed to pass for “news” these days.

If the Christian Right gets on board, you are correct and CoS will be toast. But I don’t look for them to call out a fellow religion – even a questionable one – because it might also somehow spotlight their own sins – and they are plenty. I think they might just keep a low profile on this issue.

If it can be done without smearing the religion itself, they might go for it – like personal responsibility for crimes done by individuals in charge of stuff (although their defense of that Moore character is pretty scary, imo – and they have done similar stuff in the past with the Duggans, etc). I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. This administration has far larger problems it is facing at the moment than this though. I’m not holding my breath. I think that the media spotlight – and getting Hollywood on board – would be the biggest asset. It’s really the only political capital CoS can muster. Then public outcry can take over from there and pressure the government to do something.

Agreed on the unlikelihood and I’m not holding my breath either for the Chrisitian Right to get on board, but I do like your plan as roughly outlined in your last paragraph, i.e., “media spotlight – and getting Hollywood on board…then public outcry can take over from there and pressure the government to do something.” Yes! Certainly, this is the tack that Aftermath is taking.

Additionally, the Office of Personnel Management has reason to elevate a potential investigation of SCN as the church specifically takes away individuals’ constitutional rights and causes/requires others to do the same.

This is certainly good news, #1. As Ronald Reagan used to say, “Trust, but verify”, so on what are you basing this positive assertion, i.e, that the Christian Right has been on board with Scientology’s demise for decades? I’ve asserted to the contrary on this blog, but I’d like very much to be proved wrong about this, so do tell!

Part of this is whether you are talking about individuals and individual ministers. They are uniformly opposed to scientology and all it stands for (if they have ANY passing understanding of it). However, the POLITICAL “religious right” holds their nose and treats scientology and any other organization that hides behind the First Amendment and tax exempt status as the front-line cannon fodder. Bulwarks against intrusion into their affairs. It’s a good strategy.

Mike, I get it now. I see exactly what’s going on now. The official line is at variance with what is actually felt and believed. I get it, and I get why. In fairness, there IS a faction of the the political Left gunning for tax exempt status to be removed from ALL religions. They are out there, people who want this. So now I understand the political strategy and it is a good one, I agree. Having said that, its good to finally understand that in their heart of hearts they are appalled at the Church of Scientology. Makes me feel better, now that I understand. My needle is floating, LOL!

And, btw, the phrase, “Christian Right” as I’m employing it here does NOT mean ALL Christians and/or Evangelicals!

It means the LEADERSHIP of these groups.

In this instance it refers to the OFFICIAL STANCE of these organizations publicly and to the press and so forth and NOT those of each and every member!

I’m just putting this out there because it is VERY obvious to me and I’m sure to everyone here that there are devout Christians and Evangelicals on this blog who care VERY much about Scientology’s human rights abuses, who are utterly appalled by same, who support Mike and Leah and all actions being taken to get the truth out about this cult, and who VERY MUCH want these abuses stopped, and the fake cherch of Scientology BROUGHT DOWN ASAP.

I am not familiar with Narconon. I went to their website to check out what they are claiming and saying. It sounds really good on the surface and/or to the average reader. If I were not aware of Scientology’s ploys of bait-and-switch, this is something I might refer people to. Thank you for the heads up on this — just another storefront facade to lure people into the destructive cult of Scientology.

This is exactly why exposing these frontt groups is so important. Lots assume they are safe from harm because they are not in the church. NarCONon is the perfect example to highlight this false belief.

Now that you have had time to recover from the jet lag and yanking fatigue of your recent European Trifecta Tour, have you had time to consider whether your wife Shelly falls under the jurisdiction of the new Celebrity Task Force in Los Angeles?

Maybe some follow-up interviews with Leah, JB, and those interviewed by the FBI (tsunami of information) — back when you were forced to exile yourself from your own Headquarters?

Or David vs. Goliath…….the Idol with Clay feet is beginning to quake……the “church challenges the credibility of the contributors”……all who are well known liars apparently, once they LEFT the church taking their $$$$ with them & have begun to speak out.

The children who suffered untold physical, emotional & sexual abuse all that has been denied by the organization….liars again I supposed, none of that happened either. Children didn’t sleep in a plywood box on the concrete floor of a parking garage, nor did children have to perform manual hard labor at one of their “rehab camps”….more liars I suppose. Young girls being sexually assaulted by adult men who more or less claim “the young girl pulled it in, she’s an adult in a little body”…..more liars.

So called Tales from the Crypt of horrors & abuse inflicted upon many of the former members, the same organization who controls all, sees all, knows all, enslaves all, abuses all, separates family members as it sucks the life blood & finances out of it’s flock…..sadly many former members can’t save their extended family who wish to remain “in”…….they refuse to see the growing numbers of candle light glowing from the many candles that are continually lit to shine brighter light on the truth.

To this day the organization will disavow their OWN disconnection policy, their OWN claim to WILLINGLY commit hate smear sites & personal & financial ruin to those who left/quit/blew….they refuse under their “church double speak rules & regulations” so they won’t give back the money donated for “official training or auditing sessions” never received.

Justice did not come swiftly enough for many who have passed away through suicide or old age & ill health…they will NEVER get what should have been theirs, that’s all too sad.

The only hope is to withdraw the tax exempt status, tear down the walls of “Jericho” out in California & allow the authorities IN to see what is truly behind the razor topped wire that has held so many within the confines of a MAXIUM SECURITY PRISON which refers to itself as a “church”.

Even if the IAS will have him or someone else from Narconon talk at their IAS event, I will bet my bottom dollar that the IAS still doesn’t give a dime to Narconon. Yet at their events the IAS takes credit for all the good stuff when in reality they don’t give money to any of the “good” groups. It goes directly to DM to and from there he pays all the lawyers and private investigators he uses in his scorched earth campaigns to annihilate his critics.

Important Quotes

If the org slumps during this transition period, don't engage in "fund raising"
or "selling postcards" or borrowing money. Just make more income with Scientology.
L Ron Hubbard From HCOPL URGENT ORG PROGRAMMING

"We own a tremendous amount of property. We own a tremendous amount of material and so forth, and it keeps growing.
But that’s not important. When buildings get important to us, for God sakes, some of you born revolutionists will you please blow up central headquarters".
L Ron Hubbard Lecture 31 Dec 1960

"Personal integrity is knowing what you know. What you know is what you know and to have the courage to know and say what you have observed".- LRH from Personal Integrity

"It is necessary to happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists of professing to believe what he does not believe." Thomas Paine

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Martin Luther King

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

“Communication is the universal solvent” - L Ron Hubbard

“When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.” Thomas Paine

"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." William Faulkner

"The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis." Dalai Lama